After Adoption encourages more adoptive parents to provide permanent, loving homes for boys in care.

There are currently over 7,000 more boys than girls in care: a total of 36,470 boys, yet last year fewer than 1,600 of these boys were given the chance to live with a permanent family, leaving tens of thousands of children in temporary foster placements or children’s homes.

To help provide secure futures for these children, After Adoption’s family finding service, Families that Last, is urging prospective parents to consider adoption as a way of starting or extending their families.

Families that Last has extensive experience of finding permanent carers for children who are unable to remain with their birth parents, and providing the lifelong support to make these placements work.

Caleb is just one of these boys who needs a permanent, loving family. Caleb is a three-year old little boy, who has spent nearly his whole life in care. Despite his difficult start to life, Caleb is an adorable child who loves receiving attention from his carers. He is a very affectionate child, who loves cuddles and kisses. He loves to climb and play outside, and much prefers activities to watching television.

Caleb loves his food and his favourite is feta cheese! All he needs now is a loving and warm family to give him the attention he deserves. Natasha Hidderley of Families that Last, said: “Adoptive parents can come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and different ethnicities. They can be single, married or in civil partnerships and they can be in work, out of work or completing studies. Differences are welcome, as we need a wide range of adopters to meet the diverse needs of the children waiting.”

Families that Last has placed over 100 children with their ‘forever family’. It is a thorough and efficient agency and can complete the assessment process on average within five months.

It offers friendly and personal support, providing guidance and advice at every step of the adoption process, from background information to the preparation and placement stages. Crucially, parents are also provided with ongoing support after the adoption is made: SafeBase is also offered to all adopters – a post-adoption programme, with a 98 per cent success rate.